Pardon us while we take this opportunity to snag a nap, but seriously, we just cannot muster any excitement whatsoever about Mobile Internet Devices. Stuck somewhere between capable smartphones and these newfangled
smartbooks, MIDs seem to be carving out a niche that precisely no one cares about. Though, we
can say we're stoked about the forthcoming introduction of
Moorestown -- the
Atom needs a successor in the worst way. At any rate, those still hanging on in hopes of a turnaround have introduced new MIDs today at Computex, with EB, Quanta,
Inventec, Aava Mobile and Compal (despite its
recent skepticism) showcasing their wares. If you honestly think you could see yourself purchasing one of these unwanted devices in the next year or so, we've got plenty of images down there in the read link.
[Via
MIDMoves]
posted Jun 4th 2009 2:55PM
Now if/when apple releases on of these things Engadget will do a run down of all the reasons that the apple MID is such practical/useful device. To deride the MID as something "no one cares about" is just plain ridiculous. The small MID has the opportunity to become a 3g or wifi voip phone extension and rid the consumer of the regular need for a cellphone. Don't forget these things are a whole lot more powerful than any cellphone on the market right now. It is a niche market but not a totally irrelevant one, at least to forward thinking individuals.
scapuntas is just kidding, guys. No one cares.
However, until these things can run an entire day on a single charge they'll be stuck in no-mans land. Combining a phone, PDA, and web browser into a single device would be great, but it must be *on* to be useful.
I'm still waiting for a dual OS device that runs a mobile OS, e.g. Windows Mobile, but can boot into a full blown OS when necessary.
Um... my M1 Mbook runs a full day on a charge, around 6 hours. And it's pocket size, unlike a bulky notebook. I think EnGadget is completely off on the subject, these MID's are amazing! I look at a 10" netbook and laugh at how big and bulky it is.
^^^^^^^^
You forgot to say "BURN" lol.
Why write an article just to slam a device?
I keep trying to find something I'd use these for and... I got nothing.
Same. I got nothing. Between my phone & my PC at home I don't understand where this fits in.
I've got something: remote desktop viewing.
I travel a ton for work, and am always taking part in meetings where docs are shared via remote desktop viewing (netmeeting, adobe, etc.). A laptop works fine when I'm seated or stationary. Prob 3 days a week, though, I'm going through an airport, walking to/from a meeting, or non-stationary for one reason or another. In these scenarios it's not feasible to keep a clamshell laptop open, but I want to be able to glance at the docs being shared on the call I'm on. The ideal device for this scenario is a WAN MID - something with a bigger, higher res screen than an iPhone or HTC HD Pro, but no bigger in footprint than a small netbook, and ideally a little smaller.
This is prob a top three use case for me for a mobile device for work.
Ohhhhh j you're that ONE guy.
I use mine too look up stuff online well watching TV. It's also nice to do a little business with well out and about. With XP installed, there's not much you can't do with it, other then play 3D games. I think the people that are talking smack do so because they don't own one. They are a really remarkable new computer segment. When you own a pocket size XP machine with a full day of battery life, you learn very quickly how useful they can be.
IMHO, moortown looks a lot more promising than android or pre
IMHO, you're confusing hardware with software
and then comparing apples to oranges.
2 of these 5 devices have phone capabilities, so they are smartphones and not mids by the way Engadget. Being 3 and 4 inches in size, they are not too big for the pocket. Looks good to me, but ditch Windows, I would rather have Linux that doesn't eat system resources and more user friendly for a smartphone.
So true. MIDs are to smartphones what UMPCs were to netbooks. The wrong approach, way too early.
Dude, I thought you said "carpal smartphones". LOL.
Now the question that the smart folk will be asking today is... what operating system are they all running?
What happed you didn't get the type of respect at the presser you deserve as a blogger? Or did a MID rape your mother? In any event, if you don't see the irony that a you a blogger whos livelihood is based on the Internet is shunning a device that allows people to view said Internet FULLY the you need help. Riddle me this, how will people see the flash ads that pay your salary and plane tickets while being mobile? with their non flash enabled iphones? If you don't see the benefit of a device that is is only 20% bigger than an iphone while being is many times more powerful and x86 capable then why are you even here?
Well said. +1 from me.
What do I use my Nokia N810 MID for? Browsing (WLAN at home and at work, 3G via bluetooth and my mobile elsewhere), MP3 player, the occasional video (not ideal, but better than any phone screen), ebook reading (several long novels already, FBReader is a really nice app), skypeing. The ebook reader is the one thing I wouldn't want to miss it for anymore, but the others are also regular uses. Not too bad for a 200 € (unsubsidised) device. Oh, and it can easily stay on stand-by for a few days and be in use for four to six hours, depending. Is it an absolute necessity in addition to my notebook and phone? Not really, but I bought another one quite quickly after my first one was stolen.
i agree. i have an n800 (would love an 810 tho) and i use it a ton. i have pandora playing out of my pocket at school every day, and i can quickly google something, watch youtube, or scribble down some notes. i can watch movies and tv shows(xvid). it costs alot of moneys for a cell phone that does this kind of stuff, not to mention the data charges. i have a shit phone for phoning, a MID for internet / computing on the go and i use my netbook around the house. i still have an interest in MIDs, especially ones with qwerty KBs.
I agree with all the yay-sayers. A MID (or UMPC) would fill a HUGE niche in my world, as long as it has a full Querty KB. Smartphones are actually pretty dumb, and netbooks just keep getting larger and larger. Unlike even the Sony P series, for example, these things are pocket-portable four-seasons, not just when you're in an overcoat.
Phone support is always appreciated, too.
I like Darren's trademark snarky attitude, but this total slam misses the mark--and the market.
what people have totally missed is that moorestown solves the problem of the power consumption of the total package of atom and support chipset! I'm not sure what Intel are playing at, they seem to be able to roll out new processors (atom, nehalem/corei7/xeon-ep whatever) but flounder when it comes to making a better chipset which doesn't need a nuclear power station to keep it working!
meanwhile there's Tegra and Ion and VIA (Nano + chipset) to keep Intel on their toes!